4 minute read
EDITOR’S COLUMN
MORE ADOPTIONS, FEWER ARRIVALS
Foundation collars unwanted pet problem
When animals arrive at the municipal Tallahassee Animal Services shelter, they may be malnourished, flea-bitten, infected with heartworms and afraid.
They are unwashed.
They are in survival mode.
They are not the selves they will reveal themselves to be if given the chance.
Most get that chance. More than 80 percent will leave the shelter alive and with their health restored.
That percentage used to be much lower than it is today. But in the 14 years since the fundraising Animal Shelter Foundation was established in support of the shelter, dramatic progress has been made.
In 2010, animals entered the shelter at the rate of more than 10,000 per year. Prior to the arrival of COVID-19, that figure was down to 4,000, and it has fallen further during the pandemic to approximately 2,500.
Foundation president Lauren Perlman says a community-wide effort has contributed to the improvement. People have responded well, she said, to foundation-sponsored initiatives aimed at increasing adoptions and decreasing the number of stray and surrendered animals taken in at the shelter.
Remarkably, the foundation covers the cost of expensive heartworm medications that may be required by adopted animals. It supplies the shelter with toys and other distractions that improve the quality of life for animals for as long as they are shelter residents. It offers low-cost Doggie Manners classes. And, it cooperates with like-minded organizations including Big Dog Rescue, Be The Solution and the Leon County Humane Society.
In February, the foundation announced the construction of a low-cost, same-day spay/ neuter clinic to be called Tally Spay and intended to be helpful to people in Leon and surrounding counties who are unable to afford veterinary services. Completion of the project had been projected for late spring. The foundation estimates that the clinic, with a staff of six and located at 5021 W. Tennessee St., will perform more than 6,000 procedures per year.
Perlman, as it happens, is a dog person — but she has a brother who is a cat guy. She fosters dogs and owns two rescue Staffordshire terries, Annie and Penelope. She was fostering Penelope and didn’t intend to keep her, but Annie took to her as something of a mentor who helped Penelope overcome a bad case of shyness. They became inseparable.
“They are the best of pals, and they are a joy,” Perlman said of her terriers.
Perlman encourages all who share her passion for animals to contribute to the foundation — you may do so at animalshelterfoundation.org — or by participating in foundation fundraisers, including Tails and Trails runs. And the shelter, itself, is always looking for volunteers.
At present, the shelter does not qualify for “no-kill” status. To get there, its live release rate must exceed 90 percent. A continuing community effort and the good works of the foundation just might get it there.
I asked Perlman for a favorite animal story. She couldn’t single one out.
“Each dog is different,” she said. “They always amaze me with their personalities. It is fun to figure out what motivates them.
Be kind,
↑ PICTURES OF CONTENTMENT Staffordshire terriers Annie and Penelope take it easy at the home of Lauren Perlman. She owned one and was fostering the other, but they soon became inseparable.
STEVE BORNHOFT
sbornhoft@rowlandpublishing.com
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